Summary
- Shooters like Apex and Valorant have complex learning curves with unique abilities.
- Overwatch 2's vast hero roster poses a challenge for new players in competitive gameplay.
- Games like Insurgency and ARMA 3 demand maximum attention and skill due to steep difficulty.
Every esports fan knows that one of the most intense genres for competitive gaming is undoubtedly the shooter. That goes some way to explain why the genre has enjoyed such a long and enduring degree of popularity, particularly among the more competitively minded gamers.
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However, as with any genre's evolution, some shooters have become complex enough to actually be pretty difficult to pick up for beginners, with some having pretty intense learning curves. Whether it's learning the ins and outs of massive maps or the unique abilities of intimidating rosters of characters, there are plenty of stumbling blocks for a beginner to try and overcome.
8 Apex Legends
Titanfall's Rise
Apex Legends
- Released
- February 4, 2019
- Developer(s)
- Respawn Entertainment
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, iOS, Android, Switch
- Genre(s)
- Battle Royale, First-Person Shooter
Though the Titanfall franchise is likely gone for the foreseeable future, Respawn Entertainment can rest easy with their smash hit Apex: Legends, which did the impossible and managed to find some market share in the crowded Battle Royale market and even cultivate a competitive esports scene-based upon snappy gunplay and engaging characters.
However, because Apex: Legends is based on the lightning-fast shooter gameplay of the Titanfall games, as well as introducing a pretty big roster of characters all with unique abilities, as well massive maps that require learning, Apex: Legends has a surprisingly steep learning curve to get on the level of more seasoned players, though the upcoming 2.0 update may be a good place to start.
7 Overwatch 2
The Hero-Shooter
Overwatch 2
- Released
- August 10, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Though Overwatch 2 is a controversial entry into the once-beloved franchise (but new announcements are giving the player base hope), it is hard to deny its popularity. Using Blizzard's best-in-class character design and storytelling, the world of Overwatch is incredibly appealing to players of all stripes who want to jump into competitive shooter gameplay.
That being said, the roster list of heroes in Overwatch 2 is one of the biggest around, only really beaten out by a couple of other shooters and MOBAs like Dota or League of Legends. For new players, it's a steep difficulty curve to try and figure out what each unique character can do, and even more difficult to figure out how to pick characters that complement the team composition.
6 Hunt: Showdown 1896
Sharp-shooting Horrors
Hunt: Showdown 1896
- Released
- February 22, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Crytek
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Extraction
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
In the late 2010s, it was becoming increasingly difficult to find a space in a saturated Battle Royale market where a game could really shine and find a loyal player base. Crytek took a leaf out of PUBG and Rust's book, making the wise decision to focus on the still-nascent genre of the extraction shooter and imbue it with a truly unique Western-horror mashup monster hunting premise that makes it stand out to this day.
The only problem is that the game is brutally difficult, and the meta is so developed that new players may struggle to figure out how to get a foothold in the game with a player base with years of experience. Which antique gun is best? How best to hunt a monster? What are the tips and tricks to use? The game doesn't do a great job of explaining them, meaning new players usually need a guide to get started.
5 Insurgency: Sandstorm
The Grittiest of Combat
Insurgency: Sandstorm
- Released
- December 12, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
The original Insurgency game was made as a direct response to the arcade-driven shooter gameplay from the likes of Call of Duty. Instead of being fast-moving and arcade-driven, Insurgency decided to make things as realistic as possible. That means minimal HUD, bullets killing very quickly, and no killstreaks. What results is a brutal game that demands maximum attention and skill.
In Insurgency: Sandstorm, these elements were further dialed up, providing one of the most undeniably brilliant video game depictions of modern combat but also a brutally difficult game for new players to get into if they don't know the meta or the best strategies. By throwing themselves at the problem, new players will figure it out, but the difficulty curve is intimidating for most.
4 Valorant
The Great Competitor
Valorant
- Released
- June 2, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Riot Games
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
For the longest time, Counter-Strike's dominance as the esports shooter of choice was considered gospel, but Valorant has made an impressive run of innovating Valve's trademark quick gun-play battles that prioritize accuracy and quick thinking by hybridizing it with the hero shooter.
What results is not only a game that demands a high degree of skill to keep up with a player base with honed trigger-fingers but also an increasingly growing roster of heroes with unique abilities that can make gunfights very hard to parse for new players. Though it's a rewarding experience to learn, the first hours of Valorant can be overwhelmingly intimidating.
3 ARMA 3
Modern Military Masterpiece
Arma 3
- Released
- September 12, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bohemia Interactive
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Tactical
If any franchise is renowned for taking modern combat simulation to its logical limit, it must go to ARMA. Though it's sometimes better known these days as the progenitor of Day Z, ARMA has its own retinue of fans who delight in its obsessive simulation of modern military combat to near ludicrous degrees.
Unfortunately, with a player base over a decade old, that means new players are going to run into a host of problems with learning the game's map, the different server types, the weapons, the best strategies, how to use the vehicles, and countless other challenges (not to mention the thriving mod scene). It's no surprise some players decide not to try at all.
2 Rainbox Six: Siege
Shooter-Chess Hybrid
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
- Released
- December 1, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Amazon Luna, Stadia, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Though Rainbow Six: Siege has had something of a rocky development with peaks and valleys in its quality, its player base remains very large and is undoubtedly one of Ubisoft's biggest hits. However, Siege takes the problem of hero bloat and leans into it, making an already difficult game almost impossible for new players to stomach due to the sheer quantity of possible characters.
With so many operators that it can be difficult for seasoned players to remember every ability in detail, it becomes difficult for new players to figure out how to even play the game because of a well-developed meta that is rewarding for those in the know but unassailable for new players. Without a friendly guide to answer the many questions about Siege's complex design, new players will have a really rough time.
1 Counter-Strike 2
The Pure Shooter Experience
Counter-Strike 2
- Released
- September 27, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
There's an old joke that people who put 1000 hours into a Counter-Strike game have finally reached mediocrity. That's because, despite Counter-Strike 2's seemingly simple outward run and gun design, the mechanical depth is so intense that it is a nearly impossible task to match franchise veterans.
While new players can pick it up and play for fun, if they want to get anywhere near more competitive games, they need to put a lot of hours into learning the game's more obscure systems and meta by playing with a fiercely competitive player base. Though Counter-Stike 2's relatively new release may have drawn in some new players, it's hard to deny how intimidating the Counter-Strike experience is for many others.
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